1. Bowling Pin competition benefiting VCDL is happening this Saturday!
This is a fantastic event and at a great location!
From Jim Scites:
The Bowling Pin Shoot set for July 11, 2020 is still happening. The Charity for this shoot is the Virginia Citizens Defense League, please plan to attend because the charity can really use the money to protect your 2a rights.
On a side note, Tammy works around the elderly so any time you are around the Registration Table a mask is REQUIRED, when you are away from the registration table we will leave the masks up to your discretion.
2. ACTION ITEM: Approaching 10,000 emails on Special Session - we can do better!
10,000 is a nice start, but we need everyone to do this. If you haven't sent your legislators the email on not supporting any gun control in the August Special Session of the General Assembly, or have not passed that information on to friends and family, please do so!
- Anti-self-defense Delegate Mark Levine's HB961, which banned "assault weapons", suppressors, and magazines that hold over 10 rounds, was continued to 2021 back in February. But Governor Northam recently said he wants to revive it and has said he will convene a special session of the General Assembly in August.
Besides HB961, these other infringements could also be voted on in August: - repeal reciprocity with 25 states
- shutdown indoor shooting ranges
- restrict outdoor shooting ranges
- no open carry in vehicles
- proof of training to purchase a firearm
- 10% tax on guns and ammunition
- conviction for various misdemeanors or a "hate crime" will take away gun rights
- illegal to have guns in state or local government buildings
- illegal to carry in Capitol Square or in the General Assembly
- gun stores cannot employ anyone who is prohibited from owning firearms - even a janitor
- and more
ACTION ITEM
We need to have everyone contact their legislator using the link below to send a prewritten, but editable message to their legislators about opposing any gun control in the Special Session. I encourage you to customize the message, which will automatically go to your particular legislators based on your home address:
https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/widget/oneclick/9150
3. It's still a good idea to directly contact businesses in Alexandria and Richmond
If you can politely let local Richmond and Alexandria know you won't be patronizing them until those cities repeal their gun bans, that is still a good tactic.
I have a better email address for those who want to contact the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce:
Maria Ciarrocchi: mciarrocchi@alexchamber.com
4. Businesses in Alexandria to SUPPORT
Mike F. reminded me that there are THREE firearm-affiliated businesses in Alexandria that we want to continue to patronize:
5. HELP NEEDED: Salem Gun Show on July 18 and 19
The Salem gun show has been confirmed for July 18 and 19!
VCDL will be limited to a table in the LOBBY ONLY. VCDL will again offer "Join VCDL at this show--get in FREE" The show will have wider spaced tables for this show due to the "virus", for a total of 250 tables. (NO VCDL tables will be inside the show)
Volunteers needed (LIMIT of THREE persons per shift):
Saturday, 8 AM to 12:30 PM; 12:30 PM to 5 PM
Sunday, 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM; 12:30 PM to 5 PM
RSVP your desired shift to Al Steed Jr. at: al@VCDL.org
Volunteers will be required to wear masks and maintain "social distances" for the show.
6. Mayor Stoney's Press release on Richmond gun ban
Firearms Prohibited In Richmond In City Facilities, Parks
https://patch.com/virginia/richmond/firearms-prohibited-richmond-city-facilities-parks
7. Fairfax County legislative agenda
This was the Fairfax County legislative agenda for the 2020 General Assembly session:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/legislation/sites/legislation/files/assets/documents/pdf/2020/adopted-2020-legislative-program.pdf
Notice that they got most of the infringements they wanted except an "assault weapon" ban and localities being able to restrict air guns. Here are observations on two of the items on their list: - Allowing local governments to prohibit or restrict the possession, transportation, or carrying of dangerous weapons in or on any facility or property owned or leased by the locality, with certain exceptions, including any person who has been issued a permit to carry a concealed handgun. It will be interesting to see if Fairfax County keeps that exception in any future proposed ordinances.
- Authorizing localities to ban the possession of pneumatic guns on school grounds, with an exemption for school-sponsored activities (pneumatic guns use pump action or carbon dioxide gas cartridges to fire explosives, often strongly resemble firearms, and can cause serious injury or death). WHAT??! Since when do pneumatic guns fire EXPLOSIVES? I'm speechless.
8. VCDL member gets LTE published in the Alexandria Times
Steve Brown wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Alexandria Times and it was published. That is a great way to be an activist. A well-written letter can be quite influential to those on the fence on guns.
Also, kudos to the Alexandria Times for publishing the results of the poll on Alexandria's gun-control ordinance. Some papers would have hidden or not coved the poll at all since it was strongly in favor of gun rights. The published poll showed that 94% of respondents did not approve of the gun ordinance.
Here's Steve's letter:
https://alextimes.com/2020/07/opinion-alexandrian-gun-ban/
9. Senator Marsden wants VCDL to compromise on gun control
Senator Marsden has been sending a form letter to his constituents who are asking him not to support any gun control in the August Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly. Here is a paragraph that had me holding my head. I am breaking the paragraph into separate thoughts, with my comments in blue: - One of the biggest problems we have is we have no organization that will deliberate these issues with us. The position of the VCDL and the NRA is that there will be no compromise. Yes, that is indeed VCDL's position. We don't want any more gun control that affects peaceful gun owners. PERIOD. On those kind of gun laws, there is no common ground. VCDL will be happy to sit at the table if we are talking gun laws that only affect violent criminal behavior.
- We, therefore, are forced to write laws unilaterally without the input of gun-rights organizations. Unbelievable! VCDL is at every committee and subcommittee meeting giving input; my email address and cell phone number are given to those in the General Assembly; VCDL lobbies legislators and provides a complete gun-bill analysis document to every member of the General Assembly. The Democrats are the ones who just stacked the Crime Commission against gun owners and even added a gun-control lobbyist to the Commission. The Democrats certainly didn't offer to put a gun-rights lobbyists on as a counterbalance. You ARE getting our input, Senator, you just don't like what you're hearing.
- When you choose not to participate in the legislative process, your voice is scattered among thousands of people who are fine with one thing and object to another. Hardly anyone agrees on everything. My suggestion, before next legislative session, is that gun owners find a trusted voice that speaks for all to sit down in a deliberative process with legislators and the Administration to work out solutions to gun violence problems the majority of Virginians can agree on. Translation: gun owners need to find someone who will trade away their rights and get nothing in return. Gun-controllers never offer to give gun owners anything we want, but we are expected to give them most of what they want. We are tired of that arrangement, Senator, and we are not playing that stupid game any more. Come to us with something that will actually reduce crime without infringing on gun owners' rights and we'll talk. We will not support any infringements on peaceful gun owners. And you will continue to get our input on all of this, as you have since VCDL's inception.
10. Gun sales surged 157% in June
Virginia Gun Sales Surge 157 Percent in June 2020 https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/06/virginia-gun-sales-surge-157-percent-in-june-2020/
- Record-high background checks indicates public fear over 'defund police' movement, gun-rights activist says https://www.foxnews.com/media/gun-background-checks-defund-police-activist
11. NY Times Opinion: I'm a Black American. I Need a Gun to Feel Safe in This Country
The New York Times has a habit of putting a negative spin on gun ownership. Watch the video at the beginning of the article and then read the article, which addresses some of the issues with that New York Times video.
https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/ny-times-opinion-im-a-black-american-i-need-a-gun-to-feel-safe-in-this-country/
12. Article on new gun laws in Virginia
https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/new-gun-control-laws-take-effect-in-virginia/
13. Man shoots daughter's boyfriend in Virginia Beach
Father claims daughter's boyfriend brandished a gun as if to shoot him and his daughter and the father shot the boyfriend.
The police did find a firearm that was in the possession of the boyfriend, so that at least partially corroborates what the father said about the boyfriend brandishing a gun at him and his daughter. The boyfriend did at least have a gun.
It is not clear who called the police first. If you have to defend yourself, including brandishing, be sure you are the first one to call the police!
This might have been a case of strong words being used by both parties, which nullifies both their rights to stand-their-ground, requiring a retreat.
It strikes me that the father should have just hit the gas since he was already starting to drive away. But, I wasn't there and the story doesn't provide the relative positions of the boyfriend and the father's vehicle.
The arrest of the father indicates to me that the police didn't think the father was justified in his use of deadly force (if threats were exchanged, that is probably true). Again, perhaps the father could have just sped away (retreated). A court will have to determine if the father's use of deadly force was excusable.
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/man-who-shot-his-daughters-boyfriend-told-police-it-was-self-defense-court-documents-reveal/
14. Article on people banning themselves from owning firearms
Laws sometimes have unintended consequences. VCDL is not sure that once a person gets on this "Don't let me buy a gun" list, that is a way to get your name taken off the NICS system if you change your mind later. If not, that would amount to a lifetime ban on purchasing a gun! That's particularly important if you get put on this list maliciously by another person. In fact, even if you can prove beyond any doubt that you were put on the list maliciously, you can't get off the list for 3 weeks under this law!
https://www.fauquier.com/news/how-virginia-plans-to-let-people-ban-themselves-from-buying-guns/article_3fb63ebe-bf98-11ea-8c8f-7376fd8cab71.html
15. Medical or recreational marijuana usage and gun rights
Even though it is legal to use medical marijuana in Virginia (and in some states, recreational marijuana), it is still not legal federally and you cannot possess firearms if you are a user of marijuana, even if totally legal in the state you are in.
16. 2020-2021 VCDL Carry Cards
The VCDL Carry Cards, identifying where in Virginia carrying of firearms is legal (on the front) and the locations where carry is prohibited (on the back), typically come out in early July, once all of the new laws have gone into effect and we have had a chance to get the new cards printed.
If you would like between 1 and 10 newly revised Carry Cards, as fast as we can get them to you, send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and your most generous contribution to:
VCDL Carry Card
c/o VCDL Fulfillment Center
PO Box 254
Garrisonville, VA 22463
Make checks for any contribution payable to: VCDL or VCDL-PAC (whichever you see fit to contribute to)
Please enclose a note with:
1) the number of cards desired
2) an email address and phone number in case there are issues with the mailing, and
3) if you prefer NOT to have a "Guns Save Lives" sticker affixed to your return envelope.
Your SASE with an orange "Guns Save Lives" sticker (unless you opt out of the sticker) and the requested Carry Cards will be sent to you as soon as the cards are available.
NOTE! If you are making a PAC donation, we are required to keep the information requested below, BUT know that your information only goes into our records and is not shared with the state UNLESS you exceed $100 in donations in the same calendar year (think $100.01 or more). If your donation exceeds that amount we are required to send your information to the State Board of Elections and they will post it on their publicly available web site.
Name: ______________________________________________
Street Address: ________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code: _______________________________________
Occupation: ______________________________________________
Employer: ________________________________________________
Place of Employment: _______________________________________
Contribution Amount: $_______________________
Are you a U.S. Citizen or Have a Valid Green Card: Y N
"Virginia law requires all candidate campaign committees to maintain a record of the name, mailing address, occupation information (includes type of work, employer and principal place of business) for each individual who contributes to our committee. Your information will not
be made public if your cumulative contribution is $100 or less for this calendar year." |
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